Dwight Schultz

A respected performer on Broadway, Dwight Schultz found everlasting fame by playing the certifiable "Howling Mad" Murdock on the action series "The A-Team" (NBC, 1983-86). A living, breathing cartoon...
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Lions Gate via Everett Collection
When we last left our heroes, they had conquered all opponents in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, returned home to their newly refurbished living quarters in District 12, and fallen haplessly to the cannibalism of PTSD. And now we're back! Hitching our wagons once again to laconic Katniss Everdeen and her sweet-natured, just-for-the-camera boyfriend Peeta Mellark as they gear up for a second go at the Capitol's killing fields.
But hold your horses — there's a good hour and a half before we step back into the arena. However, the time spent with Katniss and Peeta before the announcement that they'll be competing again for the ceremonial Quarter Quell does not drag. In fact, it's got some of the film franchise's most interesting commentary about celebrity, reality television, and the media so far, well outweighing the merit of The Hunger Games' satire on the subject matter by having Katniss struggle with her responsibilities as Panem's idol. Does she abide by the command of status quo, delighting in the public's applause for her and keeping them complacently saturated with her smiles and curtsies? Or does Katniss hold three fingers high in opposition to the machine into which she has been thrown? It's a quarrel that the real Jennifer Lawrence would handle with a castigation of the media and a joke about sandwiches, or something... but her stakes are, admittedly, much lower. Harvey Weinstein isn't threatening to kill her secret boyfriend.
Through this chapter, Katniss also grapples with a more personal warfare: her devotion to Gale (despite her inability to commit to the idea of love) and her family, her complicated, moralistic affection for Peeta, her remorse over losing Rue, and her agonizing desire to flee the eye of the public and the Capitol. Oftentimes, Katniss' depression and guilty conscience transcends the bounds of sappy. Her soap opera scenes with a soot-covered Gale really push the limits, saved if only by the undeniable grace and charisma of star Lawrence at every step along the way of this film. So it's sappy, but never too sappy.
In fact, Catching Fire is a masterpiece of pushing limits as far as they'll extend before the point of diminishing returns. Director Francis Lawrence maintains an ambiance that lends to emotional investment but never imposes too much realism as to drip into territories of grit. All of Catching Fire lives in a dreamlike state, a stark contrast to Hunger Games' guttural, grimacing quality that robbed it of the life force Suzanne Collins pumped into her first novel.
Once we get to the thunderdome, our engines are effectively revved for the "fun part." Katniss, Peeta, and their array of allies and enemies traverse a nightmare course that seems perfectly suited for a videogame spin-off. At this point, we've spent just enough time with the secondary characters to grow a bit fond of them — deliberately obnoxious Finnick, jarringly provocative Johanna, offbeat geeks Beedee and Wiress — but not quite enough to dissolve the mystery surrounding any of them or their true intentions (which become more and more enigmatic as the film progresses). We only need adhere to Katniss and Peeta once tossed in the pit of doom that is the 75th Hunger Games arena, but finding real characters in the other tributes makes for a far more fun round of extreme manhunt.
But Catching Fire doesn't vie for anything particularly grand. It entertains and engages, having fun with and anchoring weight to its characters and circumstances, but stays within the expected confines of what a Hunger Games movie can be. It's a good one, but without shooting for succinctly interesting or surprising work with Katniss and her relationships or taking a stab at anything but the obvious in terms of sending up the militant tyrannical autocracy, it never even closes in on the possibility of being a great one.
3.5/5
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It was the trickle of pee heard around the world. Cannes attendees were aghast and/or amused an infamous scene from The Paperboy that shows Nicole Kidman urinating on Zac Efron; this is apparently a great salve for jellyfish burns which were covering our Ken Doll-like protagonist. (In fact the term protagonist should be used very loosely for Efron's character Jack who is mostly acted upon than active throughout.)
Lurid! Sexy! Perverse! Trashy! Whether or not it's actually effective is overshadowed by all the hubbub that's attached itself to the movie for better or worse. In fact the movie is all of these things — but that's actually not a compliment. What could have become somethingmemorable is jaw-droppingly bad (when it's not hilarious). Director Lee Daniels uses a few different visual styles throughout from a stark black and white palette for a crime scene recreation at the beginning to a '70s porno aesthetic that oscillates between psychedelic and straight-up sweaty with an emphasis on Efron's tighty-whiteys. This only enhances the sloppiness of the script which uses lines like narrator/housekeeper/nanny Anita's (Macy Gray) "You ain't tired enough to be retired " to conjure up the down-home wisdom of the South. Despite Gray's musical talents she is not a good choice for a narrator or an actor for that matter. In a way — insofar as they're perhaps the only female characters given a chunk of screen time — her foil is Charlotte Bless Nicole Kidman's character. Anita is the mother figure who wears as we see in an early scene control-top pantyhose whereas Charlotte is all clam diggers and Barbie doll make-up. Or as Anita puts it "an oversexed Barbie doll."
The slapdash plot is that Jack's older brother Ward (Matthew McConaughey) comes back to town with his colleague Yardley (David Oyelowo) to investigate the case of a death row criminal named Hillary Van Wetter. Yardley is black and British which seems to confuse many of the people he meets in this backwoods town. Hillary (John Cusack) hidden under a mop of greasy black hair) is a slack-jawed yokel who could care less if he's going to be killed for a crime he might or might not have committed. He is way more interested in his bride-to-be Charlotte who has fallen in love with him through letters — this is her thing apparently writing letters and falling in love with inmates — and has rushed to help Ward and Yardley free her man. In the meantime we're subjected to at least one simulated sex scene that will haunt your dreams forever. Besides Hillary's shortcomings as a character that could rustle up any sort of empathy the case itself is so boring it begs the question why a respected journalist would be interested enough to pursue it.
The rest of the movie is filled with longing an attempt to place any the story in some sort of social context via class and race even more Zac Efron's underwear sexual violence alligator innards swamp people in comically ramshackle homes and a glimpse of one glistening McConaughey 'tock. Harmony Korine called and he wants his Gummo back.
It's probably tantalizing for this cast to take on "serious" "edgy" work by an Oscar-nominated director. Cusack ditched his boombox blasting "In Your Eyes" long ago and Efron's been trying to shed his squeaky clean image for so long that he finally dropped a condom on the red carpet for The Lorax so we'd know he's not smooth like a Ken doll despite how he was filmed by Daniels. On the other hand Nicole Kidman has been making interesting and varied career choices for years so it's confounding why she'd be interested in a one-dimensional character like Charlotte. McConaughey's on a roll and like the rest of the cast he's got plenty of interesting projects worth watching so this probably won't slow him down. Even Daniels is already shooting a new film The Butler as we can see from Oprah's dazzling Instagram feed. It's as if they all want to put The Paperboy behind them as soon as possible. It's hard to blame them.

The first and most important thing you should know about Paramount Pictures’ Thor is that it’s not a laughably corny comic book adaptation. Though you might find it hokey to hear a bunch of muscled heroes talk like British royalty while walking around the American Southwest in LARP garb director Kenneth Branagh has condensed vast Marvel mythology to make an accessible straightforward fantasy epic. Like most films of its ilk I’ve got some issues with its internal logic aesthetic and dialogue but the flaws didn’t keep me from having fun with this extra dimensional adventure.
Taking notes from fellow Avenger Iron Man the story begins with an enthralling event that takes place in a remote desert but quickly jumps back in time to tell the prologue which introduces the audience to the shining kingdom of Asgard and its various champions. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) son of Odin is heir to the throne but is an arrogant overeager and ill-tempered rogue whose aggressive antics threaten a shaky truce between his people and the frost giants of Jotunheim one of the universe’s many realms. Odin (played with aristocratic boldness by Anthony Hopkins) enraged by his son’s blatant disregard of his orders to forgo an assault on their enemies after they attempt to reclaim a powerful artifact banishes the boy to a life among the mortals of Earth leaving Asgard defenseless against the treachery of Loki his mischievous “other son” who’s always felt inferior to Thor. Powerless and confused the disgraced Prince finds unlikely allies in a trio of scientists (Natalie Portman Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings) who help him reclaim his former glory and defend our world from total destruction.
Individually the make-up visual effects CGI production design and art direction are all wondrous to behold but when fused together to create larger-than-life set pieces and action sequences the collaborative result is often unharmonious. I’m not knocking the 3D presentation; unlike 2010’s genre counterpart Clash of the Titans the filmmakers had plenty of time to perfect the third dimension and there are only a few moments that make the decision to convert look like it was a bad one. It’s the unavoidable overload of visual trickery that’s to blame for the frost giants’ icy weaponized constructs and other hybrids of the production looking noticeably artificial. Though there’s some imagery to nitpick the same can’t be said of Thor’s thunderous sound design which is amped with enough wattage to power The Avengers’ headquarters for a century.
Chock full of nods to the comics the screenplay is both a strength and weakness for the film. The story is well sequenced giving the audience enough time between action scenes to grasp the characters motivations and the plot but there are tangential narrative threads that disrupt the focus of the film. Chief amongst them is the frost giants’ fore mentioned relic which is given lots of attention in the first act but has little effect on the outcome. In addition I felt that S.H.I.E.L.D. was nearly irrelevant this time around; other than introducing Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye the secret security faction just gets in the way of the movie’s momentum.
While most of the comedy crashes and burns there are a few laughs to be found in the film. Most come from star Hemsworth’s charismatic portrayal of the God of Thunder. He plays up the stranger-in-a-strange-land aspect of the story with his cavalier but charming attitude and by breaking all rules of diner etiquette in a particularly funny scene with the scientists whose respective roles as love interest (Portman) friendly father figure (Skarsgaard) and POV character (Dennings) are ripped right out of a screenwriters handbook.
Though he handles the humorous moments without a problem Hemsworth struggles with some of the more dramatic scenes in the movie; the result of over-acting and too much time spent on the Australian soap opera Home and Away. Luckily he’s surrounded by a stellar supporting cast that fills the void. Most impressive is Tom Hiddleston who gives a truly humanistic performance as the jealous Loki. His arc steeped in Shakespearean tragedy (like Thor’s) drums up genuine sympathy that one rarely has for a comic book movie villain.
My grievances with the technical aspects of the production aside Branagh has succeeded in further exploring the Marvel Universe with a film that works both as a standalone superhero flick and as the next chapter in the story of The Avengers. Thor is very much a comic book film and doesn’t hide from the reputation that its predecessors have given the sub-genre or the tropes that define it. Balanced pretty evenly between “serious” and “silly ” its scope is large enough to please fans well versed in the source material but its tone is light enough to make it a mainstream hit.

Two actors from the original TV series, Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz, make brief appearances in this year's (10) all-new film version, which sees a new generation of stars take on the famous characters.
Mr. T is replaced by Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson in the role of B. A. Baracus, and the former wrestler admits he was "disappointed" the original actor didn't make a cameo appearance.
He says, "It would have been cool if he could have been involved. I'm disappointed (he was not)."
But Carnahan is adamant Mr. T's omission was not a snub - they made a mutual decision not to include him in the film.
He says, "I thought it was a nice nod to the history and I thought it was nice for everybody... T and I have spoken and I've showed him a lot of the movie... I thought if we couldn't use him in a really cool way it wasn't worth it and I think (in) his mind he is B. A. - who else is he going to play?"

TV heroes The A-Team have agreed to reunite to film a one-off British TV special.
The surviving stars of the 1980s primetime show—Dirk Benedict, Mr. T and Dwight Schultz—will give fans an insight into their fondest memories when Bring Back... The A-Team screens on Channel 4.
A program insider says, "It's an amazing coup to get them back together. It will be great viewing, there was fun and drama behind the scenes."
George Peppard, who played Colonel Hannibal Smith in the show, based around four Vietnam War veterans, died in 1994.
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Portrayed Barclay once again in the feature film "Star Trek: First Contact"

Reprised role of Lt. Barclay in "Star Trek: Voyager"

Cast as Lt. Reginald 'Reg' Barclay III on "Star Trek: The Next Generation"

Appeared in the CBS ripped-from-the-headlines movie "Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills," starring Edward James Olmos and Beverly D’Angelo

Breakout role as "Howling Mad" Murdock in the NBC action adventure series "The A-Team," about Vietnam-veterans-turned-soldiers-for-hire; ensemble cast also included George Peppard, Mr. T, and Dirk Benedict

Made a cameo appearance in the Joe Carnahan-directed feature film "The A-Team"; Sharlto Copley took on the role of Murdock

Voiced various characters on the Cartoon Network series "Chowder"; nominated at the Annie Awards for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production or Short Form (2009), and Voice Acting in a Television Production (2010)

Summary

A respected performer on Broadway, Dwight Schultz found everlasting fame by playing the certifiable "Howling Mad" Murdock on the action series "The A-Team" (NBC, 1983-86). A living, breathing cartoon with a seemingly endless selection of voices and accents at his command, Murdock provided the air power for the A-Team's clandestine adventures, provided that his compatriots could break him out of the mental hospital where he resided. One of the show's most popular and memorable figures, Murdock ensured Schultz steady work on television in series like "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (syndicated, 1987-1994) and countless animated shows like "Chowder" (The Cartoon Network, 2007- ). However, little boys of all ages remembered him best as Murdock, and were pleased to see him make a guest appearance in the 2010 film version of "The A-Team."<p>Born William Dwight Schultz in Baltimore, MA on Nov. 24, 1947, his father was a postal worker, while his mother was a telephone company employee. Schultz developed a fascination for audio and recordings at an early age, which in turn fostered an interest in dialects and imitations; both of which would serve him well in his future career. As a student at Calvert Hall College High School, he discovered acting through the drama club, and made it his major at Townson University. His talent for stage work and improvisation gave him the opportunity to begin teaching introductory courses at the college while still a senior.<p>In 1969, he helped to form the Baltimore Theater Ensemble, the artists-in-residence company for Townson's Theater Arts department, which provided students with a hands-on opportunity to learn their craft through live performance. He was later a member of the Center Stage Company in Baltimore and the Alley Theatre Company in Houston, TX; both of which provided him with steady work in regional theater throughout the United States. Schultz lit out for New York to try his hand at its fabled theater scene, but found the city a considerable challenge. For a while, he worked as a waiter and for the city pest control service, earning a few dollars on the side by consulting on audio systems for home use. After several lean years, he scored the lead in David Mamet's "The Water Engine" for Joseph Papp's Public Theatre in 1977; the off-Broadway show was a hit, and soon moved to Broadway, where it earned the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play. Schultz later won the Dramalogue Award for his performance in the original Broadway production of "The Crucifer of Blood" in 1978. He repeated the role in the Los Angeles production in 1980 and 1981.<p>Schultz's success on stage spurred him to try his hand at film and television, and he was soon making numerous bit and supporting appearances in episodes of "Hill Street Blues" (NBC, 1981-87) and in TV features like "Thin Ice" (CBS, 1981) and the 1981 remake of "Dial M for Murder" (NBC). His movie debut came with the crass 1981 horror film "The Fan," in which he appeared as a theater director working with Lauren Bacall. A more significant role came with 1982's "Alone in the Dark," a disturbing tale of three psychopaths who invade the home of their therapist, played by Schultz. Amusingly, he would find stardom a year later by playing one of the most memorably unstable roles in television history.<p>In 1983, Schultz was cast in the pilot for "The A-Team," a new action-adventure series from prolific producer Stephen J. Cannell. Reportedly, Schultz was informed midway through shooting that his character would be written out of the series. The decision was reversed when test audiences responded with overwhelming favoritism towards Captain. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock. He was quickly reinstated as a series regular, and became one of the most colorful and critically praised aspects of the show. An ace chopper pilot in the Vietnam War, Murdock was institutionalized in a mental hospital following his arrest for involvement in the robbery of the Bank of Hanoi, which sent his Special Forces compatriots - Hannibal Smith (George Peppard), Templeton "Faceman" Peck (Dirk Benedict) and B.A. Baracus (Mr. T) - to jail. After their escape, Murdock was frequently sprung from his cell to aid the A-Team in various missions. Though his behavior smacked of insanity - Murdock was given to obsessive thinking, uncontrollable outbursts of cartoon voices and frequent costume changes - it was never confirmed that he was actually mentally ill. On one occasion, Murdock admitted that his insanity was his key to free room and board at the hospital.<p>In the series' fifth season, Murdock was finally dismissed from the mental hospital as part of the sweeping story changes deemed necessary by the network to save the show, which was flagging in the ratings. The A-Team was pardoned by the military in order to work as a suicide squad; no longer incarcerated, Murdock filled his time between missions with a series of menial jobs, which he naturally carried out with the expected level of eccentricity. However, the shift in focus, along with a timeslot change from Tuesdays to Fridays, spelled the end for "The A-Team, which was cancelled without airing the final nine episodes of the season.<p>Schultz worked steadily in television in the years after the demise of "The A-Team," and landed a major co-starring role in the film "Fat Man and Little Boy" (1989), in which he portrayed scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, director of the Manhattan Project and developer of the atomic bomb. After co-starring with Whoopi Goldberg in "The Long Walk Home" (1990), he mentioned to the actress - who was at the time co-starring on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" - that he was a fan of the original "Star Trek" series (NBC, 1966-69). Goldberg recommended Schultz to play Lt. Reginald Barclay on "Next Generation." Initially designated as a guest appearance, Schultz's turn as the anxious, occasionally obsessive and not entirely un-Murdock-like Barclay was popular with fans, and appeared in several significant later episodes, as well as in the feature "Star Trek: First Contact" (1996) and the spin-off series "Star Trek: Voyager" (UPN, 1995-2001).<p>While working for the "Trek" franchise. Schultz was a busy character actor on episodic TV and features. But after providing a variety of voices to the English-language dub of the 1997 Japanese animated feature "Princess Mononoke," he also became one of the busiest voice-over artists for films, television series and video games. He tackled numerous characters for the "Final Fantasy" game series and "Animatrix" (2003) short films; voiced such Marvel Comics characters as The Vulture, Magneto and Kraven the Hunter for games and animated programs; and provided the sinister tones for Dr. Amino, a mad scientist who unleashes monsters to fight "Ben 10" (The Cartoon Network, 2005-08) on the popular sci-fi adventure series of the same name. In 2010, he earned two Annie nominations for his performance as Mung Daal, the ancient chef and mentor to "Chowder." That same year, Schultz was confirmed as making a cameo appearance in the big-screen version of "The A-Team," which saw South African actor Sharlto Copley of "District 9" (2009) fame take over as Murdock. In addition to his busy acting career, Schultz hosted several radio programs, including "Dark Matters" and a conservative political podcast called "Howling Mad."